A World in a Grain of Sand
by Cielita
Summary: After the events of "Hearts Over Gotham City" and "One Night Love Affair" the Titans are drawn into a deadly game of cat and mouse. better summary inside. rob-star, bb-rae, cy-jinx
1. Distress Signals

_Welcome to the next installment of the series! This story takes place after "Hearts Over Gotham City and One Night Love Affair. After the events in those two stories, the Titans are drawn into a deadly game of cat and mouse that none of them could ever imagine. Rated R for future chapters. _

_The quatrains of poetry at the beginning of each chapter are from "Auguries of Innocence" by Robert Blake and are presented in order as they appear in the poem._

_**Chapter 1: Distress Signals**_

"_TO see a World in a Grain of Sand  
__And a Heaven in a Wild Flower,  
__Hold Infinity in the palm of your hand  
__And Eternity in an hour..." _

Timidly, Beast Boy knocked on the bathroom door early one sunny spring Saturday morning.

"Raven, honey, are you okay?" he asked. The retching from inside the room was the blatant answer. He could hear her gasp for breath and then reply, "Seafood...I must be allergic...the shrimp at dinner last night..."

"You've never been allergic to anything before. Are you sure you're not coming down with a spring flu bug or something?" Beast Boy asked in concern. The bathroom door slid open and Raven shuffled out, still hugging her abdomen. Beast Boy wrapped his arms around her shoulders and guided her back to their bedroom to rest. It was actually Raven's bedroom, but as it was just a little bigger than Beast Boy's, they had decided that if they were to share a room, that was the better place. Torque had moved into Beast Boy's old bedroom and Jinx remained in the room above Cyborg's.

After tucking his wife back into bed, Beast Boy climbed the stairs and entered the living area on the top floor of Titans Tower. His friends looked up and smiled.

"Good morning, Beast Boy, where's Raven this morning?" asked Robin.

"She's not feeling so hot. She thinks she might be allergic to the shrimp from dinner last night," Beast Boy replied. The others nodded.

"I hope she is feeling better by this afternoon's combat practice. She and I have a new move we need to practice," said Torque, stirring the oatmeal with her powers.

"Perhaps a visit to the place of healing is in order?" Starfire commented.

"I don't know that a food allergy necessitates a trip to the hospital, Star," said Jinx.

"Maybe she's right. I'll talk to her about it and if she's got time today, maybe she should go in and at least make sure that it isn't something more serious," Beast Boy said, dishing up a plate to take to Raven before leaving the room again.

The sounds of laughter and squeals of playfulness echoed out of the kitchen as the suds in the sink turned into ammunition. Robin grabbed the sprayer and assaulted his friends as they took turns throwing the dish soap suds around and at each other. Poor Beast Boy hardly knew what hit him when he and Raven walked into the kitchen and he got a face full of water. Raven laughed softly. That was until seconds later when she acquired a beard of soap bubbles. Torque was laughing so hard her cheeks were pink, Jinx couldn't stand up straight for lack of breath, and Robin's usually spiky hair was soaking wet and plastered to the sides of his head. Starfire's costume clung to her and her hair looked like a wet red mop on her head as she squinted her eyes closed against the spray of water. Cyborg had the sprayer now, and Robin swooped in and covered her with his cloak in a mock attempt to 'protect her from evil'. It was the funniest thing Raven had seen for a long time.

"I have an appointment with Dr. Ivanova in a couple hours. She's making a special trip to the clinic to see me, so I won't be here for lunch. Beast Boy and I will eat in the city," Raven said as soon as the scene had calmed.

"No problem," said Robin, starting to shiver from being soaked to the bone. "Maybe we should all get cleaned up." The others laughed again and followed him out of the room.

hr

The first feeling to assault her senses that morning was cold. Had he left the window open again? She felt gooseflesh on the exposed skin of her arms and legs and opened her eyes. What she saw made her wish she could close them again and wake up as though she had been dreaming. She was in a drafty, cold, gray prison cell, the flimsy material of her nightgown lightly hugging her features. Feeling more than a little vulnerable, she lifted herself to her feet and ran a weary hand through her long black hair--her head hurt like fury.

"Good morning, princess!" shouted an obnoxious voice. "We're glad you could make it! We trust you slept well?"

"What do you want with me?" Wonder Woman growled, grasping the bars of her cell and scowling at the face of the man that grinned maliciously back at her.

"For one who has been endowed with gifts of the gods, she is not very bright," said a calm voice as another man joined the first, this one leaner, shorter, and wearing a mask.

"You haven't seen half of what I can do yet, bozo," Wonder Woman retorted, taking a swing at the bars. She recoiled seconds later, cradling her hand. Her powers! What had these madmen done?

"You are certain this will lead them all here?" the second man asked the first.

"Oh yes, Slade. We are more than certain. The flying rodent is a friend of theirs. Surely, when they hear that his lady love is missing in action, they will start looking and then they will find us and it will be perfect!" explained the first man, proceeding to cackle wildly.

"We will see, Two Face. If this works, it could be the beginning of a very profitable partnership between us," Slade said confidently. Two Face again roared with laughter as it suddenly dawned on the Amazon princess what was happening. These two maniacs were enemies of Batman's and they were using her to get to him...but who were the others that this Slade character was referring to? Diana gasped softly...no! He wasn't talking about the Teen Titans! Slade was an adversary of the Titans? This was about to get deeper than Diana thought possible. One super villain was bad enough, but when they started to work in groups it was much, much worse; and in the case of Two Face, the problems only compounded exponentially. Wonder Woman sank to the floor of the cell and rubbed her tired eyes with her hands. She could tell that this was going to be one hell of a Saturday.

hr

Beast Boy sat in the clinic's waiting room and tried to be patient. He picked up a magazine to pass the time, but the first one he picked up illustrated summer beef and pork recipes. Suddenly, Beast Boy thought it was his turn to feel sick. He had no more sat down back in his chair but Raven emerged from the back hall. Standing quickly, Beast Boy rested a hand on her shoulder.

"Is everything okay?" he asked. She looked at him with a strange fear in her eyes. Startled, he nearly panicked himself.

"I need to talk to you...in private. Can we go home now?" Raven asked, her voice growing small and quiet.

"Do you want me to go and get the T-Car? Are you feeling okay?" Beast Boy whispered.

"No, I don't need the car. Let's just go home. I'm tired," Raven murmured. Beast Boy sensed that this was an excuse to get him to move faster but it worked just the same. The newlywed Titans hurried home, enduring a silence thicker than the clouds as they flew. When they reached the Tower, Raven pulled Beast Boy into their bedroom and before she could sit down, Beast Boy pulled her into his arms and hugged her.

"I don't care what it is, honey. I want to know. We can deal with anything as long as we have each other and our friends. Whatever it is, Raven, we can get through it. Just tell me. I can't stand the suspense anymore," Beast Boy babbled. Raven wrapped her arms around her husband and mustered a weak smile. Her left hand tangled with his hair a little as she found her voice.

"I'm not allergic to seafood..." she started. She seemed choked up by tears as she continued. "I...I'm pregnant. I'm pregnant, Beast Boy. We're having a baby." The more she said it, her voice gained strength again. Beast Boy released Raven and felt for the chair behind him. He was so shocked he lost his breath.

"Beast Boy?" Raven murmured, afraid that he might be angry. They hadn't planned to be parents so soon. They had only been married in September and it was now May. Beast Boy looked up at his wife and stammered, "A baby...for real this time...our baby..."

"Yes!" Raven laughed, letting happy tears finally course down her cheek.

"There's really a baby...right now? Our baby..." Beast Boy stuttered again. He reached out gingerly, took Raven's hips in his hands and pulled her close to him as he lightly kissed her abdomen and then rested his head against her as though he were trying to listen for the baby.

"We won't be able to hear it for a while--a few months at least. Dr. Ivanova says I'm healthy, and there shouldn't be any complications of any kind that she can tell," Raven said as Beast Boy held her. A few moments of silence ensued as the thought settled in. Slowly, Beast Boy relaxed back and looked up at Raven again, his face tear-stained and stunned.

"I'm a daddy...Raven, I'm a daddy," He gasped. Raven laughed softly and stroked the top of his head. "You're a mom, too!" he continued. Suddenly he stood and the tears left his eyes. "We've gotta tell the others!" Raven laughed again as Beast Boy grabbed his communicator and ordered the whole team to meet them in the living area.

When they had all assembled, all of them confused and a few of them afraid, Beast Boy stood up and the room full of people hushed.

"I asked you all to come because Raven and I have an announcement to make. Drum roll please!" Beast Boy paused for dramatic effect and then continued, "Raven and I are having a baby!"

At first there was a perfect silence in the room. You could have heard a pin drop. Then it happened. The emotions began to flood the room. Starfire started to cry; Cyborg and Robin laughed and clapped Beast Boy on the back. Torque cried as she smiled and threw her arms around Raven. Jinx was still so shocked she could do little more than laugh along with them and smile like she had never smiled before.

That night, the Titans feasted on pizza, popcorn and tofu and watched the longest CSI: Crime Scene Investigators marathon in Titans history. At least for the Titans and at least for tonight, there was peace in Gotham City.


	2. Follow You Down

_**Chapter 2: Follow You Down**_

"_A Robin Red breast in a Cage  
__Puts all Heaven in a Rage.  
__A dove house fill'd with doves & Pigeons  
__Shudders Hell thro' all its regions..."_

_Flashback to Saturday Morning_

Bruce Wayne took a deep breath of the slowly warming early spring air. The Dark Knight took note of the contented beat of his heart and smiled. A few days' rest at Wayne Manor had been exactly what the doctor ordered. Bruce smirked a bit. When your 'doctor' was Diana, the heroine known as Wonder Woman, you didn't exactly argue. Bruce had to chuckle when he considered this name. She was Wonder Woman in more than one respect. Bruce rolled over to complete this serene thought process by kissing his lovely companion good morning, but when he let his arm flop over as he rolled, his warm skin met cool sheets. Where was Diana?

Bruce crept out of bed and wrapped his robe around him. He listened carefully for the sound of the shower. It wasn't running. Maybe she was downstairs, indulging one of Alfred's lengthy stories about when Bruce was a child. Bruce showered and dressed, arriving downstairs in khaki slacks and a black polo shirt.

"Good morning, Master Bruce. Will you have your usual for breakfast this morning?" Alfred chimed in. "And what of Wonder Woman? Has she fled your chambers so early?"

"Alfred, you're incorrigible," Bruce said good-naturedly.

"Yes, sir," Alfred replied, knowing well that once this was said, he had had the last word. But Bruce wasn't finished.

"Wait a minute. You said you haven't seen Diana this morning?" Bruce asked.

"Why, no, sir. She has not been about since the two of you went off last night," Alfred replied. Bruce frowned. Where was she? Bruce walked to the Bat Cave, hoping that a quick call over the communicators might locate his Amazon lover. When she didn't respond, a strange numbness filled his chest. He knew something like this might happen. Something was wrong. Some villain had gotten to Diana and captured her to get to him. He had warned her that it was possible, but she insisted that she was able to defend herself. She had, after all, been a solo crime fighter for about as long as Batman had been a hero himself. Still. This was different. Even if she was in the heat of battle, she would respond, or call for assistance. Something was wrong. Batman donned his costume and was dropping into the Batmobile when Alfred handed him a brown paper bag.

"Your breakfast, sir," Alfred said nonchalantly. He acted like this happened every day. Bruce smirked and thanked him.

"Alfred?" Batman said.

"Yes, sir?"

"Remind me to talk to J'onn about retaining the vacation days I'm going to lose doing this."

"Yes, sir."

* * *

Wonder Woman watched from the cell she was locked into as her captors plotted against the man she loved. She desperately wanted to know how they had managed to stop her powers. She tried once again to use her gift of strength but there was a prickling pain at the back of her neck. Gingerly reaching back, Diana felt a device of some sort sticking out a fraction of an inch from the back of her neck. This implant must have been what was impeding her powers. Diana took hold of the thing and prepared to pull it from her neck but when she touched it, she doubled over and collapsed to the floor in pain. Slade approached her from across the room.

"Don't try to remove the inhibitor, Princess. I promise you, there is little you can do. The implant is rooted into the base of your brain. If you forcibly remove it, you will die," Slade said calmly. Diana caught her breath while the villain spoke.

"You...aren't going to get away with whatever it is you're planning," Wonder Woman growled.

"That has yet to be seen, Princess. For now, rest. You will have a more active role in our strike much later, I promise," Slade said, turning to walk away. The Amazon woman wished he had leaned in a little closer so that she could have hit him with whatever strength she had left. She prayed that Bruce had awakened by now and was hot on the trail.

Slade and Two Face were plainly up to something vicious. She could see it in Two Face's sickening grin.

"You are nothing short of brilliant, Mr. Slade. We are very impressed," Two Face remarked when Slade had returned to him.

"I knew you would appreciate it," Slade said. "I would be willing to wager that Batman is just now discovering that his navigation unit is in grievous error."

* * *

Slade's timing could not have been more correct. Batman was following the satellite positioning system tied to the Justice League's main computer to try and pinpoint Wonder Woman's location, but what he couldn't yet see was that he was driving around in circles. He was so intent on finding her that it didn't even bother him when he headed for the edge of Gotham City. He was just glancing up from the screen built into the dash board of the Batmobile when a semi truck ran the red light across from him and broadsided him, ramming into the driver's door. Batman realized as he lost consciousness that there was no truck route near where the screen showed. How had he come to be in this part of Gotham?

* * *

The alarm siren went off in Titan's Tower mid-way through the third episode of CSI. All seven Titans leapt from their seats around the T.V. screen and looked about as red lights on the walls flashed.

"Trouble!" cried Robin.

"Fuel up the bikes!" cried Torque. "We're headed for Gotham!"

"We have more than one?" said Raven, puzzled.

"I built it myself," Torque said. "I sneaked it into the Tower the night I moved in.

"Sweet!" Cyborg replied.

"Way to go, Torque!" Beast Boy replied, patting her on the back.

"It's Batman! There's been an accident!" Robin cried.

"But if it was an accident, why do they require our assistance?" Starfire asked.

"The driver wasn't human," Robin growled, running for the underground garage.

"Then who?" asked Jinx.

"I'll give you two guesses but you won't need them both," Robin said while he reloaded his utility belt.

"No!" Jinx cried, running to join the others.

"Yes. Gizmo and Mammoth. They must be working for Slade again. We need to find out what they're planning, but our first priority is Batman," Robin replied at the rest of the team's confused looks.

Raven lifted into the air and made a move for the stairs when her husband took hold of her hand and pulled her back.

"Oh no you don't. The mother of my child is not putting herself in danger," Beast Boy said calmly. Raven's eyes clouded with frustration.

"I may be carrying your child but don't think I'm going to sit around in this Tower for nine months. We'll argue about it six months from now. Right now we need to be in Gotham before Batman dies in that wreckage!" Raven growled. Robin put his hand on Beast Boy's shoulder.

"Raven knows what she's doing. If she needs it, we can cover her but for now, if she's willing to come, we could use her help," Robin said. Beast Boy conceded. He wasn't happy about it, but he conceded anyway. He could argue with Robin or Raven alone, but the combination was a ticket to defeat if he even tried. Beast Boy took a deep breath to stifle his anger and ran to join the others. He prayed that Raven was right.

With all of the Titans geared up and ready to go, the team emerged from the garage, T-Car roaring, motorcycle engines thundering, and the air shattering around the three flighted characters as they soared overhead.


	3. To Move Heaven and Earth

_**Chapter 3: To Move Heaven and Earth**_

"_A dog starv'd at his Master's Gate  
__Predicts the ruin of the State.  
__A Horse misus'd upon the Road  
__Calls to Heaven for Human blood..."_

When the Teen Titans arrived on the scene, witnesses to the crash were pulling Batman from the twisted, mutilated wreckage of the Batmobile. An ambulance had arrived, and onlookers were still peering over one another's shoulders as the Dark Knight was being carted off to the ambulance. As Robin went to ascertain the fate of his mentor, the rest of the Titans spread out and started to search.

The sun was swiftly approaching its zenith when Raven floated down a nearby alley with Cyborg close behind her. Beast Boy had not been pleased when Robin assigned him to accompany Torque instead of Raven, but he swallowed his resentment when Torque yelled for him to follow her. Robin understood his concern—it hadn't been easy for him to watch Starfire take off to follow Jinx, but he knew deep down that all four of the young women on the team were very capable of handling themselves and that, despite her condition, included Raven.

Raven felt a split-second worth of intuition before she spotted the massive, running form of Mammoth coming toward her. Raven gasped and pushed herself higher in the air, causing Mammoth to slam into the brick wall of the building they had been following along. Mammoth was still for a moment before getting up and beginning to throw the loosened bricks at Cyborg and Raven.

"Azarath—Metrion—Zinthos!" Raven rapped out quickly. Raven used her telekinetic powers to stop all of the bricks at once and force them to fly back at the Hive operative. Cyborg used his cannon to supplement her efforts and Mammoth found himself slammed up against the building again.

While Raven was busy with Mammoth, Gizmo was sneaking up behind her, He had his latest gadget in his hands: a deep scanning laser cannon. Gizmo had configured it to aim for the energy centers, or warmest points of the body in order to do the most devastating damage. When he peered through the scanning screen to aim, he saw something he never expected.

"Holy hairball!" Gizmo squealed softly. "Goth girl's got a bun in the oven!" Suddenly, Gizmo had a better idea. This Titan just became more valuable. Gizmo beetled over behind a garbage can and called Slade. Minutes later, Gizmo stepped out from behind his barricade and aimed the laser cannon not at Raven, but at her companion, Cyborg. When Cyborg was hit, it distracted Raven, and she hardly saw Mammoth coming. Raven lost consciousness and the two Hive members carried her off with them, leaving Cyborg with a large, smoldering burn in the back of his right shoulder.

Back at the crash site, the other teams of Titans regrouped.

"We didn't find anything!" Torque cried as she and Beast Boy bounded back to Robin's side.

"It is like they have vanished!" Starfire added as she and Jinx returned.

"No such thing. They were here, we just didn't see them," Jinx muttered, still glancing about as though she expected the two to magically appear.

"Where are Raven and Cyborg?" asked Beast Boy.

"They aren't answering their comms," Torque added. Robin's eyes narrowed. This wasn't right. Either of the two missing Titans could have easily defeated Gizmo and Mammoth. Heck, Raven had once single-handedly taken out Overload. He had no doubt in her abilities, or Cyborg's, but where were they? The static on the other end of the communication link bothered him. He listened a little closer and noticed something strange: an echo. He could hear the team talking, but it was echoing in the communicators. That meant that Cyborg and Raven had to be nearby!

"Titans! Follow me!" Robin called, running for the alley where Raven and Cyborg had begun their search. When they located their damaged friend, all five of the remaining Titans stopped short.

"No way," Torque murmured.

"Cyborg!" Starfire cried, landing beside him.

"Raven! Where are you!?" Beast Boy screamed. Robin ordered Beast Boy, Jinx and Starfire to begin the search for Raven while he and Torque took Cyborg home. He would need some heavy repairs and Torque was the only one with enough mechanical expertise to help Robin repair him.

The Titans would spend the rest of the day searching but to no avail. For the second time in two years, Raven was gone.

Beast Boy collapsed to the couch when the search party returned to the Tower. He let his head fall forward into his hands and tried to breathe normally. He was still panting from running along side his companions and from shouting his wife's name. Torque rested her hand on Beast Boy's shoulder, not sure if he would welcome the comfort.

"We'll find her, BB," Torque said softly.

"Yeah, we will," Beast Boy replied. "We'll find her if it's the last thing I do."

Jinx narrowed her eyes as she looked at him and said, "There's something you're not telling us." Beast Boy looked up from the couch.

"We just found out last night. She was meditating and she said she could feel more than one life force. She's having twins." Beast Boy replied.

"Oh, my God," Torque murmured, sinking to the couch beside him. Jinx was starting to feel queasy. It was now more imperative than ever that they find Raven. And fast.


	4. Raising Up and Raining Down

_**Chapter 4: Raising Up and Raining Down**_

"_The Game Cock clipp'd and arm'd for fight  
__Does the Rising Sun affright.  
__Every Wolf's & Lion's howl  
__Raises from Hell a Human Soul..."_

"What did Slade say when you told him about your plan?" Mammoth asked Gizmo when they arrived back at their hideout.

"He didn't give a snot," sneered Gizmo. "Put her over there and make sure you secure her arms. We don't need her squirming while I'm working." Mammoth was confused. If Slade didn't want anything to do with her, then what were they doing? Gizmo rolled a large machine out of one corner of the room and pulled the cover off it.

"What is that?" asked Mammoth, chaining down Raven's wrists.

"My newly created masterpiece: a machine that uses super-accelerated molecules to speed up the aging process. One quick shot of this and mystery girl over there will be looking at her due date before she can blink," Gizmo said as he adjusted the machine and took aim at the blue-cloaked heroine.

"But, why?" Mammoth asked, still rather confused. Gizmo was inclined to believe that the size of one's brain was directly proportionate to the space one took up: the bigger the man, the smaller the brain. Gizmo was so enamored with his project that he didn't even realize that Mammoth had a point.

"Because, sludge for brains, the Titans are one thing, but if I had a kid connected with them, it would put me on the map," Gizmo replied evilly.

"If Slade didn't order us to do this, then why are we doing it?" Mammoth continued. Gizmo gritted his teeth in irritation. Mammoth was starting to get on his nerves. Gizmo stopped what he was doing long enough to turn to the larger man and narrow his eyes in anger.

"Aren't you sick of living in Slade's shadow? Aren't you sick of him taking all the credit for everything we do? Haven't you ever just once wanted to be the one in charge? I have. I've got more power in my pinkie finger than Slade has in his whole body, and I'm gonna prove it," Gizmo shouted.

"This isn't part of the plan! Slade's gonna have your head!" Mammoth shouted back.

"Haven't you heard a word I've said? Slade isn't running the show anymore! I am!" Gizmo screamed. As they argued, Raven started to come around. Becoming aware of her precarious situation, Raven gasped and started to struggle.

"Get out of my way!" shouted Gizmo, pushing Mammoth aside and turning back to the machine.

"This isn't part of the plan!" roared Mammoth. "She has nothing to do with this!"

"She's part of MY plan! She's that scum-colored goblin's wife, and they are just the first ones in line to feel the wrath of Gizmo!" Gizmo screeched back, throwing the switch on the machine.

"NO!" Raven screamed, but it was no use: the machine was already working and before the eyes of the two young villains, Raven's belly swelled with child.

"She's getting too big! There's something wrong! Shut it off!" Mammoth screamed at Gizmo. Gizmo was so terrified by the outburst and the release of energy from the machine that he was struck speechless. Mammoth smashed the machine just as Raven lost consciousness. The stress of having almost a full nine months of gradual growth pass in the space of a few minutes had come with excruciating pain and, unable to bear it, Raven's body shut down and she slipped into unconsciousness. Gizmo cowered as Mammoth raged, destroying several other machines before shattering the chains that held Raven down. The massive villain stopped for a few moments to calm himself and then wrapped Raven in a large quilt. Their hideout had once been a small rural hospital, and Gizmo thought it an ideal place for all of his mechanical and electronic gadgets. The two had never bothered to remove other things from the building such as linens and blankets that had been left. Tonight, Mammoth was glad they hadn't. Gingerly as he could, Mammoth lifted Raven into his arms and made his own door to get out, running into the night. Gizmo worked up the courage to look minutes later, releasing an eldritch scream as he kicked several broken pieces of his machine in frustration. What was he going to do now?

* * *

Beast Boy didn't sleep well that night. Over the months since he and Raven had married, he had grown accustomed to having her beside him. Tonight her side of the bed was cold and Beast Boy resorted to pulling her pillow into his arms and hugging it tight. He pressed his face against the pillowcase and inhaled. The pillow smelled like Raven and for a while, he was comforted. It wasn't the same as having her warm body in his arms, but he supposed that for tonight it would suffice. He swore to himself that if even a hair on her head was harmed, he would make sure that the one responsible never knew what hit him. He had no idea that no one else—the Titans, Wonder Woman, Batman, and all villains considered—no one else slept well. Not well at all.

* * *

Far away, Wonder Woman was still sitting up in her cell. She was staring across the room where Two-Face reclined in a chair, murmuring and smiling sadistically deep in his latest dream. She let her eyes wander over the equipment in the dimly lit room and came to rest on the large television screen. Slade had left it on when he left the hideout and Two-Face had fallen asleep without shutting it off. Diana sat forward eagerly as the news came on.

Images of the devastating car accident involving the Batmobile flashed across the screen. Diana covered her mouth in horror and tears slipped down her cheeks. A sob escaped her before she could stifle it and Two-Face was startled from his sleep. He quickly turned off the screen, depriving Wonder Woman of the knowledge she most desperately wanted to know. The newscaster had not yet announced whether or not the Dark Knight had survived his ordeal.

"Don't hold your breath, Princess. The man-bat has finally expired," Two-Face said triumphantly, turning his acid burned face to Diana.

"No! I don't believe you!" Diana cried. The tears were coming faster now, freer. She didn't want to believe that Two-Face and Slade had managed to destroy Batman. It just didn't seem possible.

"No!" Diana wept, lowering her head to her hands. What would she tell the Justice League had befallen their fearless co-leader? It occurred to Diana minutes later that even she may not escape this battle with her life.

"Phase one is complete," Slade said calmly as he returned to the inner chamber of the hideout. "In a few hours we will begin the next phase. This has been almost too easy. Have Gizmo and Mammoth reported in yet?"

"No," said Two-Face. "I haven't heard anything from them since you talked to Gizmo this morning." Slade's eyes narrowed. Gizmo was pedantic and precise; it wasn't like him to not report when told. On the other hand, Slade mused, one should not equate Gizmo's silence with self-directedness. One Hive operative had already defected, who knew what the others were capable of. After several failed attempts to contact Gizmo and Mammoth, Slade grew angry. He teleported into the cell that held the captive Amazon and mercilessly beat her. Two-Face watched without a flicker of emotion as Wonder Woman tried to fight back, and failed. By the time Slade had finished, he had broken Diana's left arm, fractured her right cheek and three ribs, and had lost count of the bruises he had inflicted. When the raven-haired heroine remained on the ground, too weak to get back up, Slade gave her a few well placed kicks and then turned on a small camera that was built into the sleeve of his suit. Slade deliberately made sure that the location of the hideout could be ascertained using the video. He hadn't made it blatantly obvious, but he knew Robin well enough to know that the young Titan would not have a difficult time spotting the clues. Slade suppressed a grin of accomplishment as he sent a regiment of his robots to leave the disc with the video on it on the doorstep at Titans Tower. The two fiends retired for the night, leaving a whimpering and shuddering Wonder Woman to recover from the unprovoked beating alone. As soon as the heavy steel doors slammed shut, Wonder Woman began to cry again.

"No...Bruce...It can't be...Oh, God, no...Bruce, I love you!"

* * *

Mammoth finally stopped running. He was miles outside of Gotham, and the bundled heroine in his arms was finally beginning to come around. Sitting on the bench in a park to rest, Mammoth pulled the blanket back from Raven's face. He was shocked at how beautiful she was in the moonlight. Raven's uniform had torn when she was subjected to Gizmo's machine, and Mammoth was sure that by now, it wasn't covering much. He had to find somewhere for them to go, but where? Surely, Raven was now no more than a week from her due date, plenty of leeway to have her baby early, but it still baffled the monstrous villain that she had grown so large.

There was an old hotel in one quarter of Gotham, and Mammoth thought he remembered where it was. It had recently closed, and the owners had not moved anything out yet. Mammoth ripped the boards off of one door and made his way inside, choosing a room on the topmost floor, the third, and the farthest room at the end of the hall. He didn't want any surprise visitors to easily find them.

Raven's blue eyes blinked open as Mammoth gently placed her on a soft blanket on the floor.

"Where am I?" Raven murmured.

"Safe. For now. I don't know how long it will take for Gizmo to find us—that is, if he followed us at all," said Mammoth. He sounded despondent. Raven knew for a fact that she was dangerously near her due date and that the hulk before her had no idea how to deliver a baby, let alone two.

"I don't know what happened with that machine. You look too big to me," Mammoth said. He hoped he hadn't offended her. This feeling made Mammoth's heart beat harder. He had never really cared if he hurt anyone's feelings before. Raven looked at him—was that compassion she saw?

"I...I'm having twins. I just found out the other night," Raven replied. She tried to suppress a note of anger in her voice. She knew that he was genuinely curious. The surprised look on Mammoth's face was drowned seconds later by fear as Raven suddenly clutched her belly and cried out, "Oh, God...I think I'm in labor!" Mammoth's heart rate doubled. How was he going to handle this?

* * *

Sunday morning dawned sunny, but cool and breezy. This was Robin's favorite weather. It was good jogging weather. But the Boy Wonder was not jogging this morning; he was walking into the hospital and making his way to his mentor's room. The window in Bruce Wayne's hospital room was open a bit to allow in the fresh air and sunlight streamed in. The Dark Knight allowed his eyes to adjust to the light before turning his head to ascertain the figure walking in the door.

"Robin?" he muttered.

"You are awake. The nurse said you might be," Robin said enthusiastically.

"Wonder Woman," Batman said, wincing as he tried to take a deeper breath and felt a stabbing pain in his ribs: still too sensitive. He'd have to be more careful.

"What about her?" Robin asked with a puzzled look on his face.

"Gone," Batman replied, shifting his weight.

"Raven is gone too. Do you think the two events are connected?" Robin asked.

"Maybe," Batman replied. He tried a deep breath again and this time it felt better and Bruce relaxed.

"Do we know anything else?" Robin asked.

"The onboard computer in the Batmobile was wrong. That computer has never been wrong. The satellite link must have been tampered with," Batman replied. Robin nodded.

"Rest. We'll get to the bottom of this and find Raven and Wonder Woman," Robin said confidently as he laid his hand on Batman's shoulder. "Just concentrate on getting well."

"I'm already feeling better. I'll get up and walk around some this morning and I'll be home by nightfall," Batman declared.

"Don't push yourself. The Titans can handle this," Robin replied.

"Be careful, Robin. Neither of us knows who we're dealing with yet," Batman warned.

"Don't worry, we will," Robin said, narrowing his eyes behind his mask. "I think I have a pretty good idea of who at least has a hand in this."

"Reckless, spiky-haired, over-confident bird-boy," Batman muttered. Robin stopped and turned, grinning widely and his eyes twinkling merrily.

"Pokey, obstinate, narrow-minded old man," Robin fired back as he softly closed the door behind him. Relaxing against the pillows, Batman smiled and chuckled, "Some things never change..."

* * *

Robin walked back out of the hospital and straddled his beloved T-Cycle. Putting on his helmet, Robin held in the clutch and kick-started the bike, reveling in the throaty roar of the engine. Clicking on his com link, Robin radioed Titans Tower. When Cyborg's face materialized in his heads-up display, he smiled.

"Yo, Rob! How's Batman doin'?" Cyborg asked cheerfully.

"He's going to make it! Hey, I've got an experiment to do. I want you, Starfire and Torque to meet me at Wayne Manor," Robin replied.

"You got it, boss!"

When his teammates joined him at the gates to Wayne Manor, Robin smiled.

"What's this all about, Robin?" Torque asked, pulling off her own motorcycle helmet and shaking out her long hair.

"Have you ever wanted to work on the Batmobile?" Robin said, wide-eyed wonder in his expression. He grinned widely and greeted his wife with a kiss as his mechanic friends exploded with excitement. Robin explained the problem with the navigation system and the team seemed eager to get started. Batman's long time butler and friend, Alfred Pennyworth, met them at the door.

"Welcome home, young master," Alfred said calmly, just as if he had been told to expect them.

"How did you know we were coming?" Torque asked as she watched Robin throw himself into the old man's embrace. Robin hadn't seen Alfred in years.

"Master Bruce phoned me immediately after young master Robin's departure from the hospital and warned me to be prepared for you. I assume you want to see the car," Alfred said, turning and leading the Titans through Wayne Manor.

Robin took a running leap and landed in the driver's seat of the Batmobile. He had never sat there before and this opportunity had been too much to pass up. Cyborg pressed a button on his wrist and four casters popped out of his shoulders and calves. Lying down on the ground, Cyborg rolled himself beneath the massive Batmobile.

"Whoa! Cool!" Cyborg squealed.

"Let me see!" cried Torque, abandoning her black, hooded sweatshirt and crawling beneath the chassis with Cyborg. Starfire merely hovered overhead and looked puzzled. Alfred appeared moments later and smiled at Starfire. With a blush, Starfire smiled back.

"I do not believe we have met, young miss," Alfred said, coming closer to her.

"I am Starfire of Tamaran. I am Robin's wife," Starfire announced proudly. Alfred swept into a deep bow and kissed the back of Starfire's hand.

"Perhaps the young mistress would care for a tour of Wayne Manor to pass the time while the others fix the car?" Alfred offered. Starfire smiled and slipped her hand into the crook of Alfred's arm as he led the way.

* * *

Back at Titans Tower, Beast Boy yawned and stretched languidly as he shuffled into the kitchen after taking a quick nap. He had spent all morning in the gym and then taken a long, hot shower and the combination had rendered him too tired to keep his eyes open. The nap had refreshed him, but now he was hungry.

Jinx, the only other Titan in the Tower, had risen early and locked herself in the fourth floor biology lab. Beast Boy never went into this lab anymore. It was here that the team kept the molten rock covered form of Terra safe from harm. Beast Boy shuddered when he thought of that awful day. Terra had given her life to save the whole city. Beast Boy had been surprised to hear Raven promise that they would be searching for a way to release Terra from her stone prison, but none of them--not Raven, not Robin, not Cyborg, had been successful yet.

That was where Jinx came in. She saw this project as a way for her to redeem herself not just as a heroine and Titan, but as a person. She had spent a good part of her life not caring whether or not she harmed anyone, and presented to her now was an opportunity to make something right.

Jinx stood in the lab, staring at the data from her weeks of work with her palms planted on the smooth surface of the research table in the center of the room. She had tried everything in her own knowledge and she still hadn't been able to put a dent in the stone that sealed the lithe young Titan in molten rock. Near as Jinx could tell, all of Terra's body functions had instantaneously stopped when she was covered with the stone. All things considered, if Jinx was successful, she should be able to re-animate Terra using her powers with very little trouble or complications.

Frustration was beginning to wear the pink eyed sorceress down. She stared at the figure of the petite blonde and narrowed her eyes.

"I've tried everything!" she growled, sweeping all of the research off the counter with a stroke of her arms. As the pages and pages of research and data fluttered to the floor, Jinx approached the human statue and stared into her lifeless eyes.

"Why doesn't anything work? This stuff isn't any different than any other rock on this planet! There has to be something I'm not seeing!" Jinx shouted.

Upstairs in the kitchen, Beast Boy dropped his water bottle when the Tower was rattled by an explosion, accompanied by the scream of his remaining teammate.

"Jinx!" Beast Boy shouted, running for the lab. What had the pint-sized witch gotten herself into?


	5. Sheer Instinct

_**Chapter 5: Sheer Instinct**_

"_The wild deer, wand'ring here & there,  
__Keeps the Human Soul from Care.  
__The Lamb misus'd breeds public strife  
__And yet forgives the Butcher's Knife..."_

Sunday morning, as the sun was rising over the misty horizon, Raven's contractions had grown stronger and as Mammoth lifted his head in sleepy disorientation, he heard the empath gasp.

"What is it?" Mammoth murmured. Upon inspecting the situation, the drowsy villain discovered that Raven's water had broken. Raven whimpered softly under the pain.

"I thought I could use my powers to deliver the babies myself, but my powers are too out of focus...I can't even move a chair across the room..." Raven said. Another contraction started right at the end of the last one and this time, Raven cried out in pain and tears glistened in her eyes. Mammoth's eyes grew wide as he adjusted the blanket he had placed over Raven and forced himself to check her again. Seconds later, his face became serious and he sat up a bit straighter.

"You need to push," he ordered, helping her sit up a bit so that he could push extra pillows behind her. After several pushes, one of the twins was well on the way and to Mammoth's horror, Raven passed out from the pain. The man-beast gave the fear in his heart no more than five seconds before he reacted, calmly placing pressure where it was needed and helping the baby the rest of the way out. Raven came around as Mammoth cut the cord and the baby wailed. Crying under the pressure and pain, Raven resumed pushing, afraid that if she didn't, Mammoth would not be able to do anything to save her or the baby. Then the impossible happened: the second infant's shoulders became lodged in Raven's birth canal. All of her pushing did no good, the baby wouldn't come.

"I can't push any harder!" Raven cried, "The baby's stuck!" Mammoth reacted once again with determination and aided the infant, very slowly pulling as Raven pushed. Once again, as Mammoth expected, Raven began to shake for a moment and then passed out again. This time, she didn't awaken again until after Mammoth had cleaned up the area and tucked Raven into the bed in the room. Very gently, he placed her newborn children in her arms and then sat back in a chair to look at his work. Despite complications, Mammoth had managed to keep Raven alive and deliver both of her twin children. Mammoth looked at the twins, a boy and a girl. The baby boy looked very much like a normal human with the exception of a shock of blue hair on his head. This was not the same purple-blue of his mother's hair, it was shocking, electric blue, and when Raven awoke, she declared that he had gotten it from his grandmother on Raven's side. The baby girl on the other hand, was a spitting image of her mother, from her purple hair all the way to her tapered fingers and powerful lungs.

"What are their names?" Mammoth asked.

"Toby Gar and Olivia Arella," Raven replied. Even though she had been pregnant no more than a few days, she had chosen these names for her children when she and Beast Boy married. Mammoth couldn't resist how peaceful the scene before him was. Raven was holding the twins to her and tears still slipped down her face, this time for joy. When the new mother and her children were asleep, Mammoth pressed a light kiss to Raven's forehead and then wrapped her in the blankets so that he could carry them. It was high time he took the weary Titan home.

* * *

Back at Titans Tower, Beast Boy pried open the doors of the lab and smoke billowed out. He coughed and pushed inside, tripping over the overturned objects in the room before the exhaust fans kicked in and the smoke was steadily sucked out of the room. He could make out Jinx on the other side of the room, face down on the floor and he ran to her.

"Jinx! What happened?" Beast Boy screeched, dropping to her side and shaking her shoulder. Jinx lifted her head and pointed across the room.

"Look!" Jinx cried. In the corner, as the smoke lifted, Beast Boy could see a figure in dirty, messy blonde hair and a rusty power suit curled up in fright with her face buried in her arms.

"Oh, my God," Beast Boy muttered in shock. Jinx had managed to free Terra.

"She hasn't got anything but basal brain function. She's running on instinct. I need to perform surgery to remove the rest of the suit," Jinx replied. Together, Beast Boy and Jinx managed to subdue Terra and prepare for surgery. They moved her up to the medical lab on the fifth floor and from there, Jinx asked Beast Boy to stay out in the hall.

"Why? You may need help in there," Beast Boy insisted.

"I appreciate that, BB, but I concentrate much better alone. Please, if you guys ever trusted me before, please trust me now. I can do this, but I have to do it now or she could die of shock," Jinx replied. "When the suit is removed, her higher brain functions will return." Beast Boy's eyes welled with tears.

"If you do manage to save her," Beast Boy replied, "I'll make sure Robin makes you a Titan." Jinx nodded gravely.

"I won't let you down," Jinx said.

* * *

Meanwhile, back at Wayne Manor, Robin, Torque and Cyborg had located the problem with the Batmobile. A second transmitter had been affixed over the original and wired around to override it. Just as Robin was getting ready to turn the key of the vehicle, the smell of food invaded his nostrils. The intercom clicked on and Alfred's voice echoed into the expansive Bat Cave.

"Lunch is served, Master Robin," Alfred announced.

"Smells great!" Torque said, stretching as she stood up.

"What is that enticing aroma?" Cyborg chimed in, grinning from ear to ear. All three Titans looked at one another and shouted out all at once, "PIZZA!"

Arriving in the kitchen, the Titans were immersed in the tantalizing smells of not one, but five large pizzas. Behind the center island, smiling triumphantly, were Alfred and Starfire. Both wore aprons and Starfire had a poufy white chef's hat on her head. Torque giggled and Starfire beamed.

"The young mistress was most solicitous of any culinary techniques I could teach her, so when I decided that a pizza was in order...well...you can see that we got a bit carried away," Alfred explained. The Titans were stunned. Alfred managed to teach Starfire to cook?

"Come, husband! I created this pizza just for us!" Starfire cried, pulling Robin over beside her. Robin wrapped his right arm around his wife favored her with a kiss before he smiled and said, "It looks great, Star. What's on it?"

"Well," Starfire began with a grand sweep of her hand, "First, since Cyborg is such a fan of the meat, here is a sausage, pepperoni, Canadian bacon, and roasted chicken with barbeque sauce and extra cheese!" Cyborg drooled helplessly and passed out on the floor.

"And for Torque," continued Starfire, "A supreme pizza with pepperoni, green peppers, olives, sausage, mushrooms and cheese." Torque gasped and inhaled deeply of the aroma.

"And last but not least, Robin, the pizza I created myself! It includes lots of cheese, olives, mushrooms, and mint frosting!" Starfire declared. The other four people in the room stopped and blinked at her. Starfire was still smiling, and Alfred shrugged. All at once, all of them began to laugh and then pulled chairs up so they could eat their lunch at the island.

An hour and a half later, the youngsters were getting ready to go back to Titans Tower. Alfred joined them out front and handed an extra pizza box to Robin.

"I had also prepared a vegetable pizza in anticipation of your vegetarian friend. Perhaps he would like to have it when you return home," Alfred explained.

"Thanks Alfred—for everything. Tell Bruce he can call me when he gets back home," Robin instructed as he handed the pizza box to Starfire and then threw his arms around the older man.

"I will, young master. You can be certain. Be careful on your mission, Master Robin, and do not hesitate to call should you need assistance," Alfred offered. Robin smiled and got on his motorcycle. When the young Titans had gone, Alfred sighed. The mansion seemed empty again. He returned to the kitchen, chuckled at the disaster he and Starfire had created and didn't complain once as he cleaned. It had felt good to have people in the house. It made the massive residence feel a little more like a home and a little less like a mausoleum.

* * *

When the Titans arrived home, they hardly expected the commotion that greeted them. Beast Boy was in the living room, his head in his hands and his eyes red-rimmed and puffy. The television was on, and a pretty brunette newscaster was describing a crime scene.

"Police are now searching for suspects in the break-in of this antique hotel in the East quarter of Gotham City. Nothing appears to be missing, and only one room appears to have been touched, but the grim details speak for themselves," the newscaster said. The picture blipped to photos of the crime scene, the police pointing out a blood and fluid soaked blanket on the floor and a torn black garment near the bed.

"Investigators have not yet located a body or a murder weapon to accompany this apparently vicious crime, but early evidence analysis tells us that the victim may have been a young woman. Other details were not available at this time..."

The rest of the newscast was lost on Beast Boy. He had heard enough. He would have recognized the torn uniform anywhere. To all appearances, his wife had perished at the hands of their enemies, while downstairs in the lab, Jinx was busy saving Terra. There had never been a time when Beast Boy was so torn. He wanted to be happy for Jinx—to share her joy in her victory over the certain death of their friend, but at the same time, Beast Boy's heart was threatening to pound out of his chest: his wife and unborn children was dead.

As evening fell, Beast Boy stood on the roof of the Tower in his wolf form, took a deep breath as he faced the full moon and howled, allowing the tears to flow from his eyes. Meanwhile, downstairs, Jinx finally emerged from the lab, still wiping her hands after washing them. She looked exhausted. She lifted her eyes to face her teammates...

"I did it. Terra is going to live."

* * *

An hour after the Titans had retired for bed Mammoth came beneath the shadow of the massive Tower. Raven was still wrapped in the blanket in his arms, protected from the chilly spring night. Her torn uniform had been an impediment to the delivery and care of her infant children, so she had improvised her cloak to do the job. As he walked, Mammoth noticed something—Raven was smiling—she was humming—he had never seen her happy before this day. Occasionally, one of the twins would make a tiny, soft, baby sound and the bulky villain would smile. He held them a bit closer and pressed on, letting Raven use her powers to press the keypad that granted them access to the Tower. As Mammoth walked along the lower hallways, Raven looked up at him and said, "I want to thank you again, for everything you did for me. You didn't have to do. You could have just done as Gizmo said. You made a good choice, Mammoth." Mammoth smiled shyly but said nothing. When they reached the bedroom floors, Raven decided it was a better idea not to wake Beast Boy. She could tell by his breathing as she listened at the door that it had been as bad a weekend for him as it had for her. Mammoth conceded to place her on the couch and then bid her farewell.

"Where will you go?" Raven asked softly.

"I don't know. I need to go away for a while. I need to think about some things," Mammoth replied.

"I understand. I want you to know you will always be welcome here as my guest," Raven replied. Mammoth stroked her hair and ran his thumb over her cheek.

"Take good care of the twins...and take good care of yourself. The green guy's lucky to have you," Mammoth replied. Raven smiled a thank you and then closed her eyes as Mammoth tucked the blanket around her again and disappeared. Raven snuggled into the blanket and kissed the delicate heads of each of her children. She was so glad to be home.


	6. At the Close of Eve

**A/N: Sorry about the long gap between updates. I've been in an artsy mood! Go check out my artwork on Deviant Art!! My screen name is unicorn-catcher. **

Big hugs and cookies to those who have been consistently reading and reviewing my stories: Raven A. Star, Arrendi, Warprince2000, jestana, DarkWarlord, WildSpiritOfDarkness2, and my newest fan: Fuzzy!

_**Chapter 6: At the Close of Eve **_

"_The Bat that flits at close of Eve  
__Has left the Brain that won't believe.  
__The Owl that calls upon the Night  
__Speaks the Unbeliever's fright..."_

The next morning, Raven awoke still snuggled into the blanket, the Monday sun streaming in on her face. Unable to bear staying away from him any longer, Raven stood and transported into she and Beast Boy's bedroom with the twins in her arms. She placed them in the crib that Beast Boy had purchased and assembled the night he found out that they were expecting. Raven grinned as the infants shifted their weight and yawned before falling asleep again. Raven on the other hand, swapped her torn outfit for a clean uniform and cloak. Refreshed, she wasted no time lifting up into the air and lowering herself onto the bed directly beside Beast Boy. Without bothering to wake him, Raven covered his mouth with hers, startling him into awareness.

He mumbled some half-coherent objection and then realized what was going on. He pulled back out of the kiss and his eyes opened wide and he cried out, "Raven!" Beast Boy suddenly clutched his wife close and kissed her back, running his hands over her back through her hair. Seconds passed before he slowly pushed them into a sitting position and continued to kiss her.

"I missed you so much!" Raven whispered.

"I thought you were dead! I was sure I'd never see you again!" Beast Boy whispered back, letting tears spill over his emerald colored eyes. He explained about the newscast and Raven told him about Mammoth and the heroic deed he did for her. Beast Boy was stunned for a moment.

"But...if you gave birth in that hotel room, where...?"

Raven said nothing but raised her hand and levitated the twins to them. Gingerly, Raven placed baby Toby in Beast Boy's arms and smiled.

"Beast Boy, meet your children: Toby Gar and Olivia Arella," Raven murmured, kissing Olivia's head. Beast Boy couldn't speak—the words wouldn't come. To hold the incarnation of his love for Raven in his arms was too much to take in all at once. He couldn't resist leaning over to steal another kiss from Raven as they sat on their bed and held their children.

"I love you so much, Raven!" Beast Boy wept, kissing her again. Noticing that he hadn't come out of his room yet, the other Titans, led by Robin, knocked at the door. Not expecting to hear two voices inside, the Titans rushed inside.

"RAVEN!"

After breakfast, the Titans discussed the next phase of the battle. Now that Raven was safe, the team could concentrate on locating Wonder Woman. She had been gone since Friday night, and it was now Monday morning, and the Titans couldn't even begin to imagine what poor Diana must be going through.

"We have to have a plan before go out there. Slade has managed to surprise us before, even under the best laid plans," Robin began.

"Slade is involved, but he has a partner, and I don't know who! He's lost Gizmo and Mammoth as his minions, but that doesn't diminish his power by much," said Raven, holding Olivia against her shoulder. Robin smiled at her.

"I know I insisted on coming along last time, guys, but..." Raven started. Robin finished her thought for her.

"I understand. You can monitor us from the Tower and wire for reinforcements if we should need them," Robin answered. As much as Raven hated staying home, the sacrifice was worth the relieved look on Beast Boy's face. He was confident that this time his wife was safe.

After hatching the plan, Robin led the Titans into action. They left Raven with specific instructions on when to call for backup and under what circumstances, and orders that she was not to leave the Tower. Raven's blue eyes narrowed a bit. To offer to stay behind was one thing, but to be ordered to do so...

"We really appreciate you doing this, Raven. We wouldn't have a clue what's going on if you hadn't been through hell and back first," Torque added. Raven's look softened. The Titans had told Raven about Terra that morning also. Raven had had to sit down. She couldn't believe it: Terra was alive. Raven agreed to check in on Terra every couple hours while the other Titans were gone.

Raven watched the T-Car speed off toward the city and then turned back to the cradle on the floor near the couch. The twins were sleeping soundly. They had been fed, and were snuggled into their blankets in the cradle. Raven smiled. She still found it hard to believe she was a mother. It made her feel older somehow. She walked softly over to the cradle and knelt beside it, staring lovingly at Toby and Olivia. Lightly, she touched their faces and was rewarded when they yawned and shifted their weight before going back to sleep. The soft beep of a monitor caught Raven's attention. Terra...

Raven turned the lights up a little when she entered the medical bay. Terra's breathing and heart rate had jumped and she was tugging at the restraints around her. She looked at Raven with helpless eyes.

"Raven? What's happening?" Terra whispered hoarsely. Her voice had not yet fully recovered from its two and a half year lapse in use. Raven walked farther into the room and rested her hand on Terra's shoulder.

"It's okay...you don't have to struggle. We couldn't be sure what kind of shape your mind would be in when you awoke. The restraints were just a precaution. Relax for a minute, and I'll un-strap you," Raven replied.

"The suit...it's gone...did you...?" Terra asked. Raven ducked her head a moment.

"No...it's a long story, but one I think I can tell relatively quickly," Raven said, pausing a moment to rest her hand over Terra's forehead. For several minutes, Raven used her own memories and knowledge to show Terra what she had missed while she was gone. When Raven had finished, both young women were crying softly.

"Oh, Raven..." Terra said gently, her voice gaining a little strength. "I wish I could have been there; wish I could have helped...I missed your wedding and Rob and Star's. You're a mom now! I...feel kind of left behind..." Raven finished undoing all of the restraints and covered Terra with a thick blanket.

"I know," Raven said. "So much has happened that it's amazing to think it all happened in just two years."

"You said that Jinx is a Titan now...you guys really trust her?" Terra said as Raven checked the monitors that regulated Terra's vital signs.

"She's proved herself a loyal member of the team so far. It wasn't an easy choice to allow her to help us, but in the end I was glad I did...kinda like when I decided to trust you..." Raven said, turning back to Terra.

"I didn't deserve your trust," Terra murmured. Raven rested a hand on her shoulder and Terra looked up at her.

"You sacrificed your life to save the city..." Raven said slowly. "I've never known a braver Titan." Terra's eyes welled with tears as Raven tugged the blanket up to her friend's chin. Raven turned to leave and Terra called, "Raven?"

"Yes, Terra?"

"Will you do something for me?"

"Sure...what do you need?"

Terra's eyes welled with tears and her voice was little more than a whisper at this, "Can I have a hug?" Raven wept along with her friend as she crossed the room again and threw her arms around the petite, blonde Titan.

Far away, beneath the city, Slade rattled the bars of his captive's prison.

"Rise and shine, princess, it's your turn to join the fun..." Slade said. Slade chained Wonder Woman to a giant electromagnetic generator that would harvest lightning to charge its power cells. He restrained Wonder Woman's hands up high, near the top of the long lightning rod of the device.

"What are you going to do to me?" Wonder Woman cried, struggling against the obviously uncomfortable position.

"The bracelets you wear will serve as a conductor to draw the lightning that I need to charge the generator. Once the power cells are filled, the machine's central core will emit the largest electromagnetic pulse the world has ever seen...there won't be a functioning electronic device for miles," Slade said menacingly.

"Why do you need me? Why not just take the bracelets?" Wonder Woman demanded.

"My dear princess!" Two Face cried brashly. "Where would be the fun in that? When Batman finds out that his lady love has perished, he will be too overwhelmed by your tragic death to fight!" Wonder Woman squeezed her eyes shut against the elements and continued to struggle as the machine moves into place and she was lifted up through a massive opening in the ceiling, exposing her to the cold rain, icy wind, thunder clouds and lightning. Five minutes later, the Titans exploded onto the scene.

"Not so fast, Slade! Let Wonder Woman go!" Robin cried. When the villain turned, there was a look of pure malice in his eyes. He immediately set his robots on the battle ready heroes.

"Titans! Go!" Robin shouted from the T-Cycle, watching in exhilaration as his teammates and best friends scattered in all directions. Starfire and Beast Boy soared overhead as Cyborg raced forward beside him on his right. Jinx was on his left, her hands glowing bright pink and ready to hex the first monstrous robot that came near her. Bringing up the rear, the team heard the throaty roar of an engine and seconds later Torque bore down on the scene riding her motorcycle. Twisting the throttle and dumping the clutch, Torque surged forward, her turbulent blue eyes narrow and furious behind the visor of her helmet. Screaming under the exertion, Torque lunged forward and the back wheel of the bike rose up off the ground, allowing the brunette Titan to swing the chassis around and slam it into the nearest robot, throwing it across the expanse and into another group of the bots.

"Strike!" Torque screamed.

"Awesome!" responded Beast Boy. "Here's your chance to pick up a spare!" Beast Boy pointed to another robot behind her. Torque turned in her seat and threw her arms out to their full length, catching the bot with her powers. Torque pulled one arm back and the robotic soldier was ripped in half.

"Wah-hoo! Go Torque!" Robin cried before dismounting his bike and running to attack Slade. Robin drew his staff and twirled it in his hand a few times before coming down on the fearsome super villain. Nearby, Cyborg and Jinx were taking on double trouble: Two Face.

"Run, run, run as fast as you can! You can't catch me!" Two Face taunted. Jinx gritted her teeth as her hexes crackled around them. Another legion of robots appeared on the scene and the two began to take out the robots one at a time as Two Face deserted the scene.

"Thirteen!...Fourteen!..." Cyborg shouted, counting the robots as he destroyed them.

"Twenty-one! Twenty-two! Twenty-FOUR!" Jinx shouted back, taking out the last two at once. Cyborg blushed beneath his circuitry; he was getting beaten by his own...wait...did he almost call Jinx his girlfriend? This temporary lack of concentration cost Cyborg. One of the robots clamped him in a giant fist and prepared to smash the mechanical Titan in his grip.

"Cyborg!" Jinx screamed. She wound up and threw her strongest hex, aiming for the creature's knees. It worked: the metal monster fell, and dropped Cyborg, but there was one thing Jinx hadn't thought of: what goes up must come down. The robot toppled and fell and the pink-haired Titan disappeared beneath the mass of metal, wires, and tubes.

"JINX!" Cyborg screamed. He pushed his muscles to the limit and beyond, but it was no use. He couldn't do it alone.

"Beast Boy! Torque! Help me! Please!" Cyborg screamed, still pushing on the giant sentinels. With their help, the metallic beast was finally rolled away and Cyborg dug his pretty crush out from under the rubble. He held her in his arms as he knelt there, nearly unable to speak. She opened her eyes weakly.

"Teddy bear?" she murmured.

"I'm here, Sugar Booger," he murmured back, a tear gathering in his still human eye.

"I can't breathe..." Jinx wheezed. Cyborg looked around. Starfire screeched by him, easily out-manuvering another robot. It was the last one. Starfire easily eliminated it with her starbolts and turned to her friends.

"Come! We need to help Robin!" she cried.

"Jinx...Jinx is hurt!" Cyborg cried.

"I've got her! I'll take her back to the Tower. You guys finish Slade and save Wonder Woman! Once Jinx is back at the Tower I'll go after Two Face!" Torque cried, taking Jinx in one arm and cranking the throttle with her free hand. When Torque was gone, Cyborg took a deep breath and returned with his friends, now angrier than he had been in a long time.

When the Titans found Slade, Robin was clearly on the ropes. He was on the ground and fighting to get back up. Starfire used the nearest wall as a springboard and launched herself at the villain, raining her starbolts down as she shouted for Slade to stay away from her husband. Slade turned and seconds later shot down sections of the high ceiling, burying Starfire in the rubble.

"Starfire!" Robin screamed. Gathering more determination, Robin pulled himself up and took another swing at Slade. The man anticipated and blocked the attack, but didn't see the metal monstrosity that was Cyborg charging toward him. Beast Boy ran for the pile of rubble from the ceiling to find Starfire, knowing that as angry as Cyborg was, he probably didn't need the help as badly as Star did right now.

Cyborg bore down on the super villain and slammed him to the ground. Robin just barely rolled out of the way before Cyborg landed there and Slade disappeared beneath the hulking Titan. Slade wrestled Cyborg over the edge of a short cliff and the two continued to struggle until Slade was finally pinned beneath his adversary. Cyborg looked at the man beneath him. He had been waiting for this for a long time. Cyborg pulled back and hit Slade in the face as hard as he could.

"That was for Terra!" Cyborg yelled. He wound up and hit Slade again just as hard.

"That was for Raven!"

**_CRACK!_**

"That was for Torque!"

**_CRACK!_**

"That was for Starfire!"

**_CRACK!_**

"That was for Robin!"

**_CRACK!_**

"That was for Beast Boy!"

By now, Slade was nearly unconscious and was unable to fight back, but Cyborg had one more person to defend. He lifted Slade up and dangled him over the precipice, knowing full well that the waves were crashing in the tide pool below.

"This....this is for Jinx....burn in Hell you bastard!"

With this, Cyborg threw Slade over the side of the cliff, watching as the villain's body smashed on the rocks and waves below. Shaking with weakness, Cyborg forced himself to climb back up to his friends. Beast Boy collapsed to his knees before him and Robin, holding a limp Starfire in his arms.

"Slade's dead....it's over..." Cyborg murmured.

"No it isn't..." Robin growled, pulling himself up off the ground again. "Wonder Woman!"


	7. Justice and Closure

**_Chapter 7: Justice and Closure _**

_He who shall hurt the little Wren  
__Shall never be belov'd by Men.  
__He who the Ox to wrath has mov'd  
__Shall never be by Woman lov'd. _

Racing along the rain-slicked streets, Torque tried desperately to keep her eyes on the road and concentrate on not dropping Jinx. Skidding back into the garage in Titans Tower she slammed her fist against the emergency alarm and it wailed as she charged up the stairs.

"Raven! Raven, come quick!" Torque shouted. Raven met her at the top of the stairs. She saw Jinx lying limp in Torque's arms and immediately transported them up to the med bay. Once there, Terra watched as the two worked feverishly to save her. Half an hour later, Jinx was still in near critical condition, but she was alive. The three present lady Titans shared a sigh of relief.

"Will she live?" Torque asked Raven.

"Yes. She'll be okay. She just needs time," Raven answered.

"Good. Because I've got one more ass to kick," growled Torque, making a move for the basement garage.

"Wait!" cried Raven. "You can't go after Two Face yourself!"

"Who says I'm going alone?" Torque smirked. Out in the hall was none other than Batman.

"How did you get in?" cried Raven.

"I followed Torque. She left the garage door open," grinned the Caped Crusader. Raven gave Torque a soft scowl.

"Not a good habit, Torque," Raven said.

"I know, I know...now's not the time," Torque replied.

"Let's go," Batman said. He and Torque were gone minutes later, speeding away from the Tower.

* * *

Back at the scene of Slade and Two Face's hideout, Robin and Cyborg were trying to figure out how to get Wonder Woman down from the lightning rod before she got electrocuted. Cyborg went to the controls and managed to stop the machine, while Robin carefully climbed the tall mast of the contraption. When he reached Wonder Woman, the brave Amazon woman was unconscious from the force of the wind and rain, and Robin had to be extra careful when taking her down in order to keep from dropping her.

When the team regrouped on the ground, Robin's gaze shifted to the lifeless figure in purple lying on the ground nearby. He dropped to his knees beside her and lifted her into his arms, his heart pounding when she didn't move.

"Starfire?" Robin murmured. "Star? Honey, wake up..."

"I already tried that," Beast Boy said softly. "She's not waking up, man." Robin couldn't stop the tears that fell from behind his black and white mask. Robin clutched her body against his chest and sobbed. As Wonder Woman came around, the sun began to peer out from behind the clouds. The rain had stopped and the storm was passing on—but had the storm taken fearless Starfire with it?

The sun spilled down and warmed Robin's back. Turning, he lifted his eyes and let the sun dry his tears. As the heat made his nerve endings tingle, Robin felt the body of his bride shifting in his arms.

"Star?" he asked hesitantly.

"Solar energy is what gives the Tamaranians their strength and the ability to fly. Maybe it can heal them," Cyborg said, helping Wonder Woman to sit up and then looking at his friends.

"Robin?...You are...unharmed?" said a timid whisper. Robin looked down into the shining green-tinged eyes of his wife and cried again.

"I'm okay, Star. Are you?" Robin replied, his voice weak with emotion.

"I...I have been better..." Starfire replied, her voice gathering a bit of strength. Robin smiled with her and hugged her tight, his heart fit to burst with happiness. Robin stood moments later and carried Starfire back to the T-Cycle with him and placed her in front of him as he climbed on.

"C'mon everybody, let's go home," Robin said, pushing his helmet onto his head. Wonder Woman stood with Beast Boy and Cyborg's help and walked to the T-Car. Once they were settled, Robin followed the car on the way back to the Tower. When they were nearly home, the communicators crackled to life.

"Titans! 42nd and West! Hurry!" Torque's voice shouted through the speakers. Robin ordered Starfire and Beast Boy to switch places.

"Take Starfire and Wonder Woman back to the Tower. We're going to go help Torque!" Robin cried. The T-Car skidded to a halt just long enough for Beast Boy to leap up through the moon roof in his hawk form and for Starfire to take his place. The T-Car rushed away, and the two remaining Titans rushed to the aid of their friends.

"Hang on, Torque, we're coming!" cried Beast Boy.

At the address she had specified, Torque was outnumbered. Beast Boy dropped down over the scene, hitting the pavement in the guise of a massive Tyrannosaurus Rex. Two Face ordered more of his henchmen forward and they rushed at Robin and Beast Boy, fearlessly taking on the young heroes. Torque was high above them on top of one of the nearby buildings, being held out over the edge by Two Face's malicious, acid burned arm.

"Robin! Beast Boy!" she screamed. When the two looked up, they saw Torque, but what terrified them more was what Two Face had in his other hand: Batman, dangling over the side of the building held up only by a rope around his neck that he was fiercely trying to remove without falling. A sudden roar from behind him alerted Robin that there was trouble with Beast Boy. When he turned, the henchmen had knocked Beast Boy out and he had inadvertently morphed back to his human form. Robin looked desperately back and forth.

"It comes down to this, Boy Wonder!" screamed Two Face. "The Man-Bat or the little spy? Make your choice!" With this, Two Face released his captives—directly over the edge of the building.

* * *

When the Robin returned to Titans Tower, he could only remember a handful of times when he had been so sore. He was carrying Torque, unconscious from the night's adventure, and he noted with pride that she had as many bumps and bruises as he did. Kneeling on the floor just inside the front doors of Titans Tower, Robin laid Torque in one of the large chairs. Beast Boy, who had been limping along beside him and leaning on his shoulder for support, gathered the strength to get to another chair before his legs gave out. Robin dropped to his knees—who needed a chair? It had been one hell of a night.

When Two Face had dropped Torque and Batman, Robin had panicked. Who was he to save: his newest teammate or his mentor? Lucky for him, one of them made that choice for him. Batman struggled to get the noose off his neck and then shot his grappling hook up and over the roof, allowing him to stop short and fire back at Two Face. Robin charged ahead and caught Torque before she hit the ground. Together again, Batman and Robin had defeated Two Face and brought him to justice again. But at what price? Most of the Titans would spend at least the night in the already crowded medical bay. Beast Boy's leg was broken, Torque had a concussion, and Robin's shoulder was dislocated. Between them, Starfire's injuries, Jinx's injuries and Terra's recovery, Robin knew that sleep was still going to be a long time coming for those who were still awake. Robin looked over at Torque and brushed her hair out of her face.

"Well done, Titans," he murmured, looking at Torque and Beast Boy before his vision went fuzzy and he passed out on the floor. He vaguely registered the voices of his teammates before he lost consciousness completely.

* * *

By the time Robin and the others arrived back at the Tower, Terra was walking around again. It took her little time to regain her strength and she was back in uniform before Raven could order her to rest.

"Let me help. Besides, you'll need the extra bed," Terra argued. Raven conceded and Terra joined her, and Starfire and Cyborg as they raced down the stairs to ascertain the condition of their friends. When Raven reached the bottom of the stairs, Beast Boy looked up and their eyes met for the first time all day.

"Raven!" Beast Boy called. Raven didn't need to be told twice. She flew to him, knelt beside him and healed his leg. After this, he stood, pulled her into his arms and held her, happy just to be in the same room with her again. Raven looked up from this embrace and kissed him, moaning softly as he pressed deeper, making the kiss that much more passionate. Starfire and Cyborg were helping Robin and Torque up the stairs when Terra caught up with them. She and Beast Boy's eyes met and they stopped.

"BB?"

"Terra?"

The reunited friends shared a tearful embrace seconds later.

"I didn't think you'd be up and around so soon," Beast Boy said softly.

"Oh, I'm full of surprises," Terra quipped. Beast Boy smiled and hugged her again. After treatment for minor injuries, Robin, Starfire, Beast Boy, Cyborg and Torque were cleared to return to their rooms. Raven and Terra stayed up a little longer to make certain that Jinx would be all right, but then they too made a retreat to their bedrooms.

When Terra reached her old bedroom, she noted that the air inside smelled a bit stale; as though it hadn't been disturbed since she was last there.

"We brought up your stuff. We had packed it for you and put it in the basement just in case...well...in case of this! The sheets are clean and stuff. Want me to help you make the bed?" Beast Boy offered. Terra shook her head, her long blonde hair shaking with it.

"Naw, I can handle it," she said. Beast Boy nodded and turned to go, but stopped when Terra called his name.

"Beast Boy...I just wanted to say congratulations. You've done really well for yourself. You've gotten married and you have two really gorgeous kids. Raven's a lucky woman," Terra said. Beast Boy returned to Terra's side.

"So...what happened between us before..."

"I told you, you are the best friend I ever had. A friend, Beast Boy," Terra said. Terra leaned into his arms again and hugged him before giving him a tender push toward the door.

"Go on. I hear Raven singing to one of the twins. Better go help her before the other wakes up," Terra teased. Beast Boy smiled.

"Goodnight, Terra. Welcome home," Beast Boy said. With this, he smiled, and closed the door.

Terra had her bed made minutes later, and minutes after that, she slid between the sheets and snuggled down into the pillow, blowing out a deep breath as she fell soundly asleep.


	8. The Tiniest Titans

_**Chapter 8: The Tiniest Titans**_

_The Babe is more than swadling Bands;   
__Throughout all these Human Lands   
__Tools were made, & born were hands,   
__Every Farmer Understands. _

By the time Beast Boy got back to his and Raven's bedroom, Raven was already asleep. He tossed his towel into their laundry basket and went to stand over the crib that held his infant children. He smiled as he looked down at them. He still couldn't believe the miracle that had been bestowed upon him: he had helped to create them. They had grown inside Raven and become tiny people unto themselves. As he contemplated this, he suddenly felt a pair of hands wrap around behind his shoulders, then lips on his neck, just below his ear.

"You'll wake them if you stand there too long," Raven whispered. Beast Boy turned and took Raven in his arms. She melted into the embrace and smiled.

"I missed you, Raven," Beast Boy whispered back. Raven parted her lips just slightly as she stretched up to kiss the man she loved. He ducked his head a bit to accommodate her and the two shared a sweet kiss before returning to bed. It didn't take Beast Boy long to fall asleep once Raven cuddled into his chest and pulled the covers over them.

Down the hall and around the corner, in Robin and Starfire's room, Robin had taken full advantage of the fact that neither of them had been hurt badly. Robin had his wife tucked in his arms as he listened to his heart beat return to normal. Whatever Starfire lacked in her vocabulary, she more than made up for in her other...well...marital duties. Robin smiled, sliding his hand through his bride's silky red hair and gently stroking her porcelain complexion. Starfire smiled softly and leaned into his embrace.

"I love you, Robin," she murmured. Robin couldn't have been happier if he had tried.

"I love you forever, Starfire of Tamaran," Robin replied. Still, something seemed to be perplexing his alien wife, so the Boy Wonder probed farther.

"What's wrong?" Robin asked, sitting up a bit.

"I have not felt like myself lately. I have been very sleepy and a little sad. The sickness only happens in the morning and I am usually much better by after the noon. Still, I am concerned. Should I seek medical assistance?" Starfire gushed, unloading her fears on him. Robin internally rescinded what he said before. There was only one thing that could have made him happier.

"Starfire...I don't believe it...you're..." he stammered.

"What is it? What is wrong with me?" Starfire asked.

"Star...Raven felt that same sickness when she—"

"--When she discovered she was going to bear children!" Starfire interrupted. "I am with child!"

"Starfire! We're going to be parents!" Robin cried, kissing Starfire passionately. The pair held one another tightly as they fell asleep.

Hours later, Terra, tossing and turning in restlessness, finally stood up and went to the window. Looking out over the lights of Jump City, Terra sank to the softness of the small couch near the window and curled up, hugging her knees. A flashback in her mind placed her in a dimly lit club...there was a man in black before her...he was handing her a drink and she could remember drinking it...then dizziness, disorientation, then pain. Terra drooped over to her side on the couch, shaking and crying.

"No! NO! Oh God, no! Stop it! Stop!" she shouted. Lights in the hallway flicked on and she could vaguely hear footsteps running for her room. Seconds later, several of her teammates were crouched around her.

"Terra, are you okay?" Robin said, brushing a handful of her hair out of her face as he knelt in front of the couch.

"Did you have a nightmare?" asked Torque.

"Worse...I remember it...but I don't remember it happening! I can see it all in my head but I can't remember it ever really happening!" Terra sobbed. Starfire knelt nearby and wrapped her arms around Terra as she cried.

"Some dreams can do that," said Cyborg. "What are you remembering?"

"A club...a man in black...drinking some cherry thing...he..." Terra couldn't bring herself to repeat it. Raven buried her face in her hands and Beast Boy looked at her.

"Honey, what's wrong?" he asked, wrapping his arms around her.

"She's remembering the night I was attacked," Raven murmured, "I used my own memories to help Terra catch up with what had been happening."

"So that's why she wasn't surprised to see me," said Jinx.

"I wondered why she wasn't surprised to hear that you and I were married," Beast Boy said softly.

"This is all my fault," Raven said, moving to the front of the group and taking Terra into a warm embrace.

"How did you do it? How did you keep going after that? You went through so much..." Terra faltered into sobs again as her friends sat nearby. Raven felt tears of her own prickling at the back of her eyes as she replied, "I had a whole tower of good friends who saved me from myself when I needed them most." With this, the Titans, new and old, oldest to youngest, went back to their rooms to get blankets and pillows. This called for an impromptu sleepover. As she watched this coming together, Terra sniffled away tears and asked what they were doing.

"If you really do have Raven's memories, you remember that she ran away from the Titans when she thought she might be pregnant," Robin began.

"I wound up coming back to the Tower and collapsing into bed. No one else was home," Raven continued, spreading a blanket out and then cuddling her sleeping daughter while Beast Boy snuggled down with their son.

"When we all got back from searching for her, she had dropped her cloak in the hall and we found her in her room, out like a light," said Cyborg, draping a blanket over himself and then smiling as a Jinx crawled beneath the blanket and up onto his chest before settling in.

"Not wanting to leave her, all of us fell asleep on Raven's bed and we were still there in the morning when she woke up," said Starfire, scooting down into Robin's arms as he pulled a blanket over them.

"So, we're going to do the same for you. Rest easy, Terra. We're here, and we're going to help you through this just like we did for Raven," Beast Boy said, lightly kissing Raven's lips. Terra looked at her friends, all of them curled up on the floor close enough to one another to keep extra warm, but far enough apart where Cyborg wasn't kicking Robin in the back of head if he shifted his weight. In a moment of spontaneous relief, Terra took a quilt and a soft pillow from her own bed and curled up in the middle of the group, smiling as they shifted to accommodate her and then with this, the whole team drifted back off to sleep. This time, they would sleep soundly until the morning.

* * *

The following autumn, Starfire and Robin were blessed with a healthy baby boy, whom they named Jason Todd. The same year, the entire team plus most of the city of Gotham turned out for the wedding of Bruce Wayne to his beloved Diana in an elaborate, highly-anticipated ceremony attended by hundreds. 

Three more years weathered in their time and Beast Boy and Raven couldn't believe how quickly their children grew. Olivia and Toby had dragged not just their parents but all of the Titans through colic, teething, first steps, first words, first birthdays, terrible twos and everything in between to get to where they were now: happy, healthy, energetic four year olds. By this time, the other members of the team were used to being called "Uncle" or "Auntie" with the exception of Torque. Even though she was now considered a seasoned member of the Titans, she still felt like a bit of a loner. She chalked it up to having lived alone for so long that she couldn't easily settle in. Not to be misunderstood, Torque made it clear that she enjoyed being a Titan and loved Toby and Olivia, but she was just the kind of person that wasn't used to having a great deal of family around.

This didn't seem to deter the kids. They had had free run of the Tower practically since the day they started walking, and now, as four year olds, greater awareness and mobility gave them the power to keep all eight adult Titans on their toes.

One day in particular, Torque was French braiding her long brown hair in the mirror in the bathroom when she heard the tiny grunts of little Olivia climbing up to sit on the counter.

"Auntie Torque, whatcha doin'?" Olivia asked, staring up at Torque's hands as they wove her hair into the braid.

"Braiding my hair," Torque replied without looking at her. Pausing for a moment, Olivia asked why. Torque simply said she liked it that way. A little dejected at Auntie Torque's lack of enthusiasm, Olivia contemplated her little feet for a few quiet moments as Torque finished the braid. Torque looked at the little girl before her and cocked her head to one side.

"Your hair's getting long enough to braid, isn't it?" Torque said, thinking out loud. Olivia simply looked at her. Torque cracked a grin.

"Turn around here, kiddo. Let Auntie see what she can do," Torque said, turning Olivia around to face the mirror. For the next half hour, Torque and Olivia giggled, laughed out loud and squealed as Torque tried various hairstyles on the little one's fine hair. Finally settling on one, the two finished and then went off to show their new up-do's to their friends.

Meanwhile, in the living room, Cyborg, Robin and Beast Boy were engaged in one of their favorite past times: playing Gamestation. Robin and three-year-old Jason were cheering, and Toby jumped up and down nearby, crying, "Go daddy! Get him! Pass him!"

"I can't concentrate with all that racket!" yelled Cyborg.

"That's the difference between you and me, Cyborg!" Beast Boy cried triumphantly. "I have kids—I'm automatically, completely immune to kid noise!"

With this, he crossed the finish line six lengths ahead of Cyborg. Beast Boy dropped the controller and commenced a victory dance that Toby mimicked right along with him. With this done, Beast Boy swept his son into his arms and held him.

"You did it!" Toby squealed.

"As usual, victory is mine!" Beast Boy laughed, giving his little son a high-five.

As happy as this day had been for the Titans, the next month would be another matter all together.

* * *

Flu season hit Jump City unusually hard this year. Vaccinations were short, but the Titans had weathered the season many times before and been fine. This year, nearly all of the Titans fell prey to it. As a matter of fact, the only ones not ill were Robin, Starfire, Cyborg and Jinx. The others, including all three of the kids, were too sick to even consider moving. The four that were well took turns nursing their friends as the days dragged on. Beast Boy and Raven had nearly started a fight more than once whilst one had chills and the other was far too hot: one needed the covers of the bed and the other couldn't stand it. But for both of them, concern raged for their children. Often, the little ones would cry and call out for Raven, even though she was too sick to get up. One of the others came and would attend to the four of them. 

The adults seemed to recover quickly. Within a week, Terra, Beast Boy, and Torque were back on their feet and feeling better. Raven needed another day and a half. Little Jason was the next to recover, his parents crediting his half-Tamaranian immune system. It looked as though, even though it had taken longer than usual, everyone was going to make a full recovery.

A day later, Raven awoke with a start. Something was wrong. She draped her cloak over her shoulders and made for the door, waking Beast Boy in her haste.

"What's wrong?" Beast Boy asked sleepily.

"I don't know. It's the kids. Something's wrong with the kids. I need to go check on them," Raven said as she made her way to the room beside theirs. Beast Boy was right behind her, having stuffed his feet into his shoes and followed her. Raven knelt beside Olivia and ran a hand over the little girl's forehead. Olivia awoke and looked at her mother.

"Mommy?" she murmured.

"Her fever broke!" Raven gasped. "She's finally getting better!"

"Thank heavens!" Beast Boy whispered, coming to join them. "Can we go back to bed now?" Raven scooted out from under his arms and over to Toby's bed. She repeated her method and swept a hand over her son's head and face. In stark opposite of his sister, Toby was cold.

"No..." Raven murmured. Beast Boy moved to her side and checked for a pulse. Raven's already pale skin blanched farther as she and Beast Boy performed CPR in a desperate attempt to save their child. Fifteen minutes passed...and so did Toby. Raven and Beast Boy knelt there on the floor of the bedroom clutching the body of their son. Still awake, Olivia joined them on the floor, crying with them when her brother wouldn't wake up when she called to him.

The next morning dawned stormy and dark; fitting weather considering the circumstances. The team couldn't help mourning with them. All of the other members of the team felt like family to the children. For days following Toby's death, Raven wouldn't get up, and Beast Boy wouldn't eat. Little Olivia was suddenly quiet and listless, playing with her toys in her room or trying to cuddle with her mother or father. With Toby gone, Olivia began to develop a closer attachment to Jason. Though he was a year younger than she was, the two made good playmates, and together they did their best to stay out of the adult Titans' way. In their own quiet ways, the Titans mourned. The first team fatality in Titans history had been a child.

In the coming weeks, Beast Boy and Raven both seem to slip deeper into despair. All motivation, all enthusiasm, even the light in their eyes seemed to have been replaced by desolation and depression. A month after Toby's untimely death, the two were still not on the mend. The other Titans had been managing without them, leaving them at the Tower to watch Olivia and Jason while they went on missions. Most of this time, Raven spent in silent mediation, or curled up on the bed crying. Beast Boy found his refuge in the television or Gamestation, though none held any happiness for him anymore. Everything seemed tied to a memory, tied to something that reminded him of his son. Unfortunately, in this interval of sorrow, both seemed to completely overlook their little girl. They attended to her basic needs, making sure she was clean, fed, and was getting enough sleep, but other than that, all affection seemed drained from their actions.

One particularly difficult evening found Beast Boy and Raven shouting at the top of their lungs. Though they were in their bedroom behind a closed door, their voices reverberated through the hall, and down into the ears of their little Olivia, who stood before the door, clutching her dolly that Robin and Starfire had given her for Christmas. Olivia heard her name several times.

"Daddy?" Olivia whispered. When Beast Boy didn't hear her, she bit her lip a moment and tried again. "Mommy?" Despite this effort, the two inside continued to shout, raising their voices even farther. Raven was screaming. Beast Boy was growling. This was not good. Not good at all.

"They're fighting about me," Olivia mumbled to her dolly. "Let's go, Darla."

Olivia went back to her bedroom. Flicking on the light, she scanned the room, locating what she felt to be her most important possessions: Darla, her dolly, her blanket, and her mother's spare cloak. Raven had hemmed this cloak so that Olivia could wear it for play. It even had an active communicator so that she could pretend she was a full-fledged Titan, just like Mommy. With this, Olivia padded carefully down the stairs and for the first time in her life, left Titans Tower alone. Mommy and Daddy mustn't love her anymore without her brother. Certain that she had discerned the source of her parents' dispute; she walked fearlessly into the night.

Back at Titan's Tower, little Jason began to search for his friend, his green eyes wide with wonder. Much of the Tower was still foreign to him, but he looked everywhere he could think of. He knew that Auntie Raven and Uncle BB were shouting, but he wondered what had become of Olivia. Finally deciding that a more probing investigation was in order, he very carefully began to descend the stairs, looking for his companion. Fearful of the darkened state of the Tower, Jason began to cry. His tears blurring his vision, the littlest Titan tumbled and fell down the last three steps. Though this was no great distance, he was still more than a bit afraid, and started to cry. He sat there on the landing, sad and afraid, very much wanting to be held, but there was no one. He was alone.

Little Jason was still sitting on the stairs sobbing when the other Titans returned from their mission. Starfire rushed to her son and scooped him into her arms.

"It is all right now, my little bungorf. Mother is here to comfort you," Starfire murmured.

"Where are Raven and Beast Boy?" asked Terra.

"Listen," Robin said, leaning an ear toward the stairs. Torque gasped.

"I've never heard them take that tone with each other before," Jinx muttered.

"Neither have I," said Robin. "Let's go and get to the bottom of this."

The Titans listened as Jason cried that he couldn't find Olivia. Thinking that this might have something to do with the screaming match upstairs, the Titans proceeded up the stairs to the bedroom level, quietly searching the living areas for signs of Olivia. When they found nothing, Robin's eyes narrowed.

"I've had enough. This ends now," Robin said, marching back to Raven and Beast Boy's bedroom and pounded on the door. Instantly, the shouting inside stopped and Robin went inside. The other Titans remained out in the hall and listened as Robin dressed down his teammates. He informed them of where they found Jason, and then told them the last thing they wanted to hear that night: Olivia was not in Titans Tower.

Suddenly panicked, Beast Boy joined the others to search Olivia's room. They noted that her doll, blanket and cloak were missing and a bit of hope flickered in Beast Boy's eyes.

"Honey, you're brilliant! That was an active communicator! We can use it to locate her!" Beast Boy cried. The team proceeded up to the living area to check the computer. When they had a lock on her, Beast Boy and Raven tried desperately to talk Olivia into coming back to the Tower or at the very least, stopping and staying where she was. Olivia ignored them. Robin ordered Beast Boy and Raven to remain in the Tower and sent Torque and Cyborg to go and retrieve Olivia, who had wandered nearly to the end of the mile long driveway leading away from Titans Tower.

"She's our daughter!" Beast Boy cried.

"You can't order us to stay here!" Raven shouted.

"You could have fooled me! You've done nothing but ignore her ever since--" Terra stopped mid-sentence. Possessing Raven's memories of their birth, she felt nearly as close to the twins as their own mother.

"Take it easy, Terra. Olivia's okay," Jinx soothed, giving Terra's shoulders a squeeze.

When Torque and Cyborg located Olivia, she stopped and turned. She wouldn't come near them, but only looked. Torque looked at Cyborg and told him to play along. Cyborg shrugged and nodded.

"Olivia!" Torque cried, catching up to Olivia and kneeling beside her. "You really gotta learn to wait for your teammates before you go out on a mission! You might need our help!" Torque hoped that making Olivia feel powerful might make it easier to get her to come back. Olivia insisted that her parents didn't love her and Torque bit her lip. How awful to be so young and to think that she isn't loved!

"But, Olivia, there's another mission and we need your help!" Torque said dramatically. "Jason fell down the stairs looking for you and he needs you!" Hearing her friend's name, Olivia panicked.

"Jason?" she said. Cyborg nodded. "He was crying and everything, Olivia," Cyborg added. Olivia conceded and allowed Torque to carry her back to the Tower.

Once Torque and Cyborg returned to the Tower and Olivia discovered that Jason was not hurt as badly as Auntie Torque had said she calmed down a bit. When Raven and Beast Boy tried to get her to come to them, she became angry, screeching that they didn't love her anymore. Olivia reached for her Auntie Terra, refusing to sleep in her own bed. Terra timidly offered to allow Olivia to sleep with her just this once, and Robin agreed before Olivia's humiliated parents could argue. With this, Robin sent everyone to bed.

Raven and Beast Boy slowly retreated to their bedroom, still not quite sure how to feel. Once their bedroom door slid shut, the pair looked at one another and began to yell at each other again. This time though, it was short lived. Raven began to cry, and seconds later, Beast Boy joined her, collapsing to their bed in a heap of tears. Beast Boy wrapped his arms around Raven and pulled her close, planting kisses on her crown, forehead and cheeks.

"I'm so sorry, Raven. Baby, I'm so sorry..." Beast Boy murmured, letting Raven's tears soak the front of his uniform.

"What have we done?" Raven whimpered. "We've alienated our only child!"

"I guess we're not the only ones we have to apologize to," Beast Boy said softly.

"We owe the entire team an apology. Especially Jason and Olivia. Oh, God...our little Olivia..." Raven murmured. Beast Boy stroked Raven's hair out of her face and she looked up at him.

"I love you, Raven," Beast Boy whispered. Raven swallowed the last of her tears and replied, "I love you too, Beast Boy." Slowly, the two met in a soft kiss. New energy surging between them, Raven pressed her lips against her husband's again, this time with a little more emphasis. Beast Boy caught on, and soon, the sensation grew and consumed them. By the time Raven and Beast Boy fell asleep that night, hints of a smile played with their features. Perhaps this night was exactly what they needed to get themselves back on track. Tomorrow would be a new day.

The next morning, Beast Boy and Raven walked on pins and needles. They wondered what their teammates would say after the previous night's ordeal. Certainly, they were all disappointed in both of them. Raven went to get Olivia out of bed, but her bed was empty. Then it dawned on her: Olivia had slept with Terra. Raven swallowed her tears and followed Beast Boy upstairs, where they found most of the team already eating breakfast. When they were noticed, the pair stopped and all motion in the room with them. Raven was grateful when Beast Boy spoke up.

"We owe you all a huge apology. We had no business behaving the way we have and we certainly had no right to do what we did last night," Beast Boy said. "We were out of line, and we're sorry."

"Can you ever forgive us? Raven asked softly. Robin's straight face changed to a grin seconds before Starfire could bowl them over with a hug.

"Oh, of course we forgive you, friends! What else are friends for?" Starfire cried. Beast Boy and Raven blushed in this attention as the rest of their teammates gathered around and patted them on the back and shared more hugs. When this was done, there was only one Titan still at the breakfast table. She had just finished her bowl of cereal was climbing up on her step-stool to place her dishes on the counter. When this was done, she made for the door without acknowledging her parents. Beast Boy cringed a bit as he bit back tears. Raven called out to her daughter, "Olivia wait!"

The pint-sized Titan stopped and turned in place. Raven knelt and looked her child in the eyes.

"Oh, baby, we love you so much! We're sorry! Can you ever forgive us?" Raven wept. Olivia stood for a moment and seemed to mull this over in her little brain. Seconds later, Olivia ran across the room and threw herself into her mother's arms. Raven clasped her daughter tightly and stood, so that Beast Boy could hold them both. Raven and Beast Boy both shed tears as their teammates stood by, watching as the reunited family walked the rest of the way into the kitchen so that Beast Boy and Raven could eat. Olivia resumed her seat at the table so that she could sit in her father's lap and listen to the banter as the team returned to the table as well to finish breakfast. For Raven and Beast Boy, the food was beginning to have taste again, a sure sign that their hearts were finally beginning to mend.


	9. Quiet Delight

_**Chapter 9: Quiet Delight **_

_Every Tear from Every Eye  
Becomes a Babe in Eternity.  
This is caught by Females bright  
And return'd to its own delight._

Weekend mornings in Titans Tower were generally quiet times, but this morning, Raven was already awake at 6:30 am. She was perusing the instructions for the sewing machine that had lain dormant in the storage room of the tower while she used her powers to manipulate the machine. After a few small mistakes and a little confusion, she was on her way. By the time she was finished, it was nearly eleven but her creation had turned out well. Raven went to wake her daughter, sure that she was still asleep, but when she opened the door, Olivia was sitting on the floor, mimicking her mother's meditation position. Suddenly filled with a mixture of pride and apprehension, Raven joined her little girl on the floor. Olivia looked up and smiled.

"See mommy? I'm just like you!" Olivia cried. Raven smiled. She was certain that Olivia's powers shouldn't be manifesting until much later, if she proved to have any at all.

"Well, you're not just like me yet," Raven said, holding up her project. "But we can fix that." Olivia stood up and squealed as she clapped her little hands. Raven had created a little costume exactly like her own, down to the very last detail.

"Now you can wear that cloak and really look like mommy," Raven said, watching as Olivia looked at herself in the mirror. The only true difference between the two was that Olivia's hair was longer. Raven swept her daughter up into her arms and said, "Should we play a trick on daddy and the rest of the team?" Olivia nodded eagerly. With this, Raven and Olivia went to the living area.

When Beast Boy awoke at about 11:15, he wasn't surprised that Raven wasn't there. She had a strict schedule of meditation and she couldn't afford to miss one. He got up, dressed, and shuffled up to the living area to find some breakfast. When he got there, the late morning sun was shining on two figures near the expansive windows. Beast Boy blinked and rubbed his eyes. Raven was floating about three feet off the ground in her customary lotus position, but that's not what surprised him. What surprised him was that their daughter was floating along side her. Both were repeating Raven's familiar mantra, "Azarath, Metrion, Zinthos…" and Olivia was dressed in a costume identical to her mother's. He approached them and they stopped, floated to the ground and got up.

"Good morning, honey," Raven murmured, kissing Beast Boy's lips.

"Good morning, daddy," Olivia said, hugging Beast Boy's leg. The two then proceeded into the kitchen. Beast Boy followed his family into the kitchen.

"Mommy made me an outfit like hers!" Olivia squeaked.

"I see that," Beast Boy replied. "Honey? She was…" Raven laughed and explained that she had been holding Olivia up with her powers. Olivia giggled.

"Gotcha, daddy," she laughed. Beast Boy went to tickle his daughter when the alarm went off. Robin, Starfire, Torque, Terra and Cyborg came running into the room, with Jinx not far behind them. Terra took Jason from Starfire's arms and looked at Raven and Beast Boy.

"We've got trouble, Titans! Let's go!" Robin yelled.

"I've got the kids, guys," Terra cried. "Go!" Acting on instinct and adrenaline, Beast Boy did a somersault as he ran for the door, transforming into a cheetah when he hit the floor. Raven soared overhead, keeping up with the rest of the team. When she reached the door, both she and Starfire looked back.

"They'll be fine! Go!" Terra cried. With this, Raven and Starfire took off after the others. On the way downtown, Raven wondered how she and Beast Boy would perform today. They hadn't been out on a mission for a long time, and she didn't know about her husband, but Raven felt a little out of practice. As Dr. Light smashed his way out of a bank vault, Raven cried out her magic words, feeling her energy returning just as strong as it had always been.

"Azarath…Metrion…Zinthos!" cried Olivia, running across the living area. Terra rolled her eyes and smiled as she watched from the kitchen. She was attempting to make lunch for the kids. Who knew there were actual instructions for Spaghetti-o's? She watched the kids play and grinned. Something inside her wished that she had children of her own. It had been difficult for her to try to contain some of her feelings after the night she had dreamed of Raven's attack. Having absorbed Raven's feelings as well as her memories of those events, she had had a hard time accepting the fact that she was not Beast Boy's wife instead of Raven. A tug on her shorts brought her back to reality.

"Auntie Terra?" Olivia asked. Terra quickly took the pasta off the stove and then looked over at Olivia.

"What is it, pumpkin?" Terra asked.

"You're crying," Olivia replied. Terra wiped away the tears, surprised to find them there.

"I'm fine, Olivia," Terra replied, dishing up the food for she and Jason and then joining them at the table. An hour later, when the team returned, they found Terra fast asleep on the couch. Jason had crawled up onto her chest and fallen asleep to the rhythm of Terra's heartbeat, and Olivia had curled up beside them, wrapped in her little cloak and with Terra's arm around her.

"Looks like the kids weren't the only ones who needed a nap," Beast Boy said softly. Starfire giggled. Cyborg grinned. Ultimately, the team decided to let them sleep. They knew how much spending time with the kids meant to Terra.

The other Titans quietly went about getting lunch for themselves, trying desperately not to wake Terra and the kids.

"You guys did really well today considering you haven't been out with the team in so long," Robin said. Beast Boy blushed a bit and Raven smiled.

"I was glad we had you there," Cyborg said. "When Dr. Light saw Raven, he freaked and gave up. The rest of us didn't have to do much!" The others laughed softly.

"I seem to have that effect on people, don't I?" Raven quipped.

"I don't think he was expecting to see us, was he?" Beast Boy said.

"No, he wasn't. But that's a good thing. The more we can take the bad guy by surprise, the better," Robin said, sipping a soda. A soft noise from the sofa made several of the Titans look in that direction. Olivia was awake. She was still facing away from them, and Beast Boy took advantage of the opportunity. He tuned his communicator to the frequency of Olivia's comm link and spoke.

"Olivia, daddy's home!" he said. Olivia jumped off the couch and whirled around. A smile lit her little face as she made a run for the kitchen.

"Daddy, daddy, daddy, daddy, daddy!" she cried, running full speed into Beast Boy's open arms. The other Titans laughed as Olivia wrapped her arms around Beast Boy's neck and squeezed as he picked her up and held her. Beast Boy kissed his daughter's temple and hugged her tight.

"Did you kick bad guy butt?" Olivia asked. Beast Boy and Raven looked at their daughter in surprise.

"Who taught you language like that?" Raven asked.

"Uncle Cyborg," Olivia replied. The Titans turned to glare at their mechanical teammate and found that he had already left the room, and so had Jinx. Torque rolled her eyes.

"Oh boy, there they go again," she muttered.

"I think there was more to it this time, Torque," Robin replied.

"What do you know that we don't?" asked Torque. Robin looked at Beast Boy and grinned.

"It's a guy thing," Robin replied.

"I'm glad I became a Titan, Cyborg," Jinx said, reclining near the edge of the pond in the garden. She dipped her delicate fingers into the water and played with the fish, making them scatter in fright. Cyborg sat down beside her and smiled. She was never so lovely as she was in the sunshine. He fidgeted a bit. There was something on his mind that he desperately wanted to know.

"Jinx, do you love me?" Cyborg asked. Jinx flashed him a radiant smile.

"Cyborg, we've been dating for five years! Of course I love you!" Jinx replied.

Cyborg pushed a button on his arm and a small compartment opened, revealing a little box. Cyborg took it and took a deep breath. He opened the box and posed one more question.

"Will you marry me?"

Jinx was stunned into silence. Tears pushed their way to her eyes. She lost her breath, but found enough to reply, "Yes! Yes! Oh, of course, I'll marry you!" as she threw herself into his arms and kissed him.

Dr. Ivanova and one of her colleagues, Dr. William Turner, came to Titans Tower every six months to administer physicals. Normally, a person would only need a check up once a year, but considering the physical and emotional strain that the young heroes were under on a daily basis, a bi-yearly physical didn't seem so out of line. Only Cyborg escaped most of the rigors of the doctor's visit. Anything wrong with him could be discovered through a diagnostic scan.

When the doctors left, after assessing the health of not just the Titans, but of their children too, Robin picked up the phone.

"This calls for pizza," he said.

"And lots of it!" Torque added, rubbing her arm before putting her black hooded sweatshirt back on. "Immunizations suck!"

Meanwhile, down the hall and around the corner, Raven was zipping her uniform and draping her cloak around her shoulders as Olivia lay on her parents' bed. She was still sniffling away tears from the shot she had received, but she was otherwise a very healthy little girl. When Beast Boy returned to the room, he picked Olivia up and gave her a big hug and a kiss, cuddling her and reminding her that she was brave. The little Titan simply nodded and decided to return to her room. Beast Boy looked over with concern as Raven sank to sit down on their bed, obviously something important on her mind. Beast Boy joined her there.

"Raven, is everything okay?" he asked, sliding an arm around her and smiling as she instinctively slumped over against his shoulder.

"Yes. Everything's fine. Olivia's healthy, I'm healthy. You?" Raven replied.

"Fit as a fiddle," Beast Boy replied. "But if everything's okay, what's on your mind, baby?" Raven's look of deep concern scared Beast Boy. He was used to her even-handed temperament, but there was obviously something amiss. Suddenly, her concern ebbed away and she smiled, making her dark blue eyes glitter. She lifted a graceful hand to cup Beast Boy's face and he nearly purred with joy. Raven leaned close to her husband's ear and whispered into it. The look on his face was worth every syllable.

"Are you sure?" Beast Boy stammered. Raven nodded.

"Dr. Ivanova was positive," Raven replied. Beast Boy swept his wife into his arms and hugged her.

"I can't believe it," Beast Boy murmured, sweeping Raven's hair out of her face. "We're having another baby!"


	10. Here Without You

_**Chapter 10: Here Without You**_

_The Bleat, the Bark, Bellow & Roar  
__Are Waves that Beat on Heaven's Shore.  
__The Babe that weeps the Rod beneath  
__Writes Revenge in realms of death. _

The Titans limped home from a battle a week later with more than a few bruises.

"I forgot Cinderblock could hit that hard," muttered Beast Boy.

"I even hurt in places I forgot I had…" grumbled Torque.

"I felt that last swing all the way to my third eye," Raven grumbled back, sinking to the couch.

"Don't forget we still have combat practice this afternoon," Robin said softly. The others groaned.

"Can't we blow it off just this once?" Jinx begged.

"Let's do it anyway. It might help take our aggressions out," Robin replied. The others obligingly nodded and went to rest before practice.

Later on, Robin had no idea that his words would be taken so seriously. The Titans entered the arena ready for more action, and the drones didn't know what hit them. Robin watched as his friends pulled out all the stops, but minutes into practice, he noticed that the atmosphere in the room was beginning to unwind. The Titans were starting to show off their finer tuned skills: Jinx's acrobatics, Raven and Starfire doing tricks in the air, Beast Boy unleashing unusual creatures that he didn't usually morph into. It was quite a sight, and Robin couldn't help but join them, adding some of the more decorative martial arts style that he didn't employ in every day battles.

What the Titans didn't realize was, as they were having fun, they had a very young captive audience. Olivia had never seen her family in battle, nor had she ever seen her father morph before. She had never seen Raven's eyes glow with energy or seen Jinx and Torque at their powers. It was all very scary. She stood in the doorway of the practice arena, frozen to the spot she stood in. She was watching all of this action going on and not quite knowing what to do. She started to cry after a while, but couldn't seem to make her legs move away from what frightened her. One of the flying drones knocked Beast Boy out of the air and he landed on his back on the floor. Gasping, he rolled out of the way before the drone could dive-bomb him. Beast Boy laughed as he watched it soar back up into the air and be destroyed by his wife.

"Way to go, Raven!" Beast Boy cried.

"You can thank me later," Raven replied. Several of the others within earshot laughed. When Beast Boy got back up he heard something that sounded like a sob and whirled around. Seeing the door open and his daughter there, Beast Boy morphed into a kangaroo and leapt the forty feet to the emergency stop button on the wall of the arena. As the others came to a halt, Beast Boy morphed back and cried, "Olivia! Are you okay, sweetie? Come here, honey, come to daddy!" But Olivia was too afraid. This couldn't be her daddy. He was some awful monster who could turn into scary animals. Olivia turned to run but Raven blocked her way with a shield. Robin put his staff on the ground and the others in turn all ceased their defenses and headed for the door. Olivia finally relented when Uncle Robin came close and picked her up that there was no recourse but to give up. She threw her little arms around his neck and held tight. Robin winced a bit.

"Your daughter's got a heck of a grip, Raven, kind of like her mom," Robin teased. Raven came closer and Olivia screamed. She buried her face in Robin's cape and soaked it with her tears. It would take another hour to explain to her what had happened in the arena. By the time they finished, they had convinced Olivia that she was the luckiest kid on earth. Who needed a zoo when your father was Beast Boy? After cleaning up, the team decided a night out was in order. A good time, and a great deal of pizza was had by all.

A month later, during dinner, the Titans, young and old, were talking, laughing and thoroughly enjoying their dinner and each other's company. The dinner, prepared by Raven and Beast Boy, had been a small feast, and the light snow that fell from the sky created a magical cityscape beyond Titans Tower.

Taking a deep breath as he gazed at the January landscape, Robin sat back, a satisfied smile on his face, and leisurely draped his arm across the back of Starfire's chair.

"I have to hand it to you two, that was amazing," he said, looking pointedly at Beast Boy and Raven. The two blushed and smiled as Olivia piped in, "Thank you, Mommy and Daddy!" The others laughed and then a contented silence fell over the team. Beast Boy was about to suggest a quick game of Rock-Paper-Scissors to decide who was responsible for the dishes when there was a flash of white light. Temporarily blinded, Beast Boy rubbed his eyes when the light dissipated, but when his sight refocused, he couldn't believe what he was seeing…

Beast Boy, Robin and Cyborg stared, slack-jawed around the room…

Raven…

Jinx…

Torque…

Starfire…

Terra…

Olivia and Jason…They were gone!!

Fin

_A/N: Yes! This is the conclusion but not the end of the series! I've already got a title and the first several chapters of the next story planned and they will be up soon! Until then, get your fill of the illustrations I've done for the book on my DeviantArt profile. My username is unicorn-catcher. Check out my Baby Beast Boy piccie!_


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